Nascar isn't local operations, it's nationwide US full-frontal exposure of a brand.
http://www.crash.net/nascar/news/85601/ ... enske.html
yes, article is as of 2002.
These images are all old...
i'll fix that for you then.
then there's the 2004 ryan newman
and 2005 nascar
2006
2007
http://www.jayski.com/schemes/2008/scup ... rm-lms.jpg
safe to say it's hard to miss Sony's presence on these cars, am i right? aren't these cars thoroughly wrecked throught the year several times?
so according to 2,5 years before now equals medio 2011, after 2007, and between 2008 and 2011 sony jumped out for 3 years after a long history of running sponsorship on breakable things so the policy was only between 2006 and 2011?
as I said, these would have been from local operations
the porsches had a deal with Gran Turismo & Playstation of SONY for promotional purposes as a [though minor] sponsorship partnering. hardly local when engaging in race classes.
since you enjoy fresher pics; there ya go:
Gran Turismo and Playstation have returned to sponsoring Henri Pescarolo's team, but not just the 908. They're also sponsoring the Pescarolo Chassis.
that was 2009.
point is, Sony has a history of sponsoring motorsport divisions, though not as 'big' as being a 'title' sponsor [if they're at all gonna be one, it's just rumour]. And if they haven't been in 'the game' for a while, honda pulled out of f1 in 2009 and stated the haven't had interest in returning. yet they're full on track to bring an engine for 2015.
policies change and it's a matter of marketing and business. don't be surprised if toyota heads back in f1 as a engine supplier a couple years after honda, or perhaps BMW.
I see sony happening very well. It would fit very well in the profile of Mclaren. Sony Mclaren Mercedes [interim] to Sony Mclaren Honda.
I think they'll keep the chrome and the red, perhaps the red goes more orange. the cars might be orange during the car presentation. Either because of the title sponsor has not been signed yet [as mentioned could be interim and due to contractual agreements, vodafone supposedly payed 50% for the 2014 wages to pull out, so MCL does have 50% in the pocket for 2014 anyway], or because of a marketing stunt. they did that before. in 06 mclaren drove without title sponsor aswell. Mclaren ran a chrome-red livery back then with fly emirates on the red parts.
as of 2007 they had the vodafone deal. but the read was already present, possibly because of the 'classic' white-red connections with marlboro [the actual mclaren 'swoosh' is an adaptation of the marlboro logo that mclaren used to run in their f1 logo]
Sony would make a lot of sense becuase they've left their partnership with ericcson behind aiming at a more 'sole' direction in mobile applications [through Xperia].
Mcommerce is expecting for 2014 and beyond that mobile application sales will increase bt 53,3%, more than triple the 15% growth rate for retail ecommerce.
so sony will fit nicely into that profile.
but there are more options.
Barcleys Bank for example.
Or how about Orange [mobile company, used to provide Arrows if i'm not mistaken]? Has a global clientele and would be easy for having orange mclaren's. Orange Mclaren Mercedes/Honda
Still, if rumours about a Alonso to Mclaren honda partnership could be true, then a 2014 interim year with 2015 Alonso paired with Santander would be lucrative for Mclaren.
Then there's HSBC, which could return to F1 as a banking brand. Red-White mclaren combo ala Marlboro?
Gilette indeed has a big branding so it's still dozens of directios. Interestingly though, is that Honda is very near Gilette in top branding [in 2013]. So if Honda is gonna do more then just give Mclaren free engines, Mclaren might just make Honda their Title Sponsor.